The present invention relates to a dispensing head intended to equip a dispenser for a fluid product, such as a dispenser wherein product is dispensed in the form of a jet or a spray, for example An aspect of the invention also relates to a dispenser equipped with such a dispensing head
In general, some fluid dispensers comprise a reservoir containing a product that is to be dispensed and a dispensing member fixed to an open end of the reservoir. The dispensing member may be a pump or a valve and the dispensing member may be coupled to a dispensing device. The dispensing device typically fulfills two functions. On the one hand, the dispensing device allows the user to actuate the dispensing member, so as to eject a dose of product from the reservoir On the other hand, the dispensing device allows the product leaving the reservoir to be conveyed via a conveying duct to a dispensing orifice, for example in the form of a nozzle, with which the dispensing device is provided. Product may then be dispensed in the form of a somewhat string-like jet or alternatively in the form of a cloud of fine droplets, known as a spray. The product may be conveyed to the dispensing orifice by simple pressure on a compressible product reservoir. When the dispenser is equipped with a dispensing valve, the reservoir may contain a pressurized gas for propelling the product that is to be dispensed through the dispensing orifice.
Conventionally, a dispensing device for dispensing product in the form of a jet or of a spray comprises a body equipped with a conveying duct in fluid communication with the product reservoir. The conveying duct is in fluid communication with a dispensing nozzle equipped with an outlet orifice of small cross section. Customarily, a nozzle such as this is an attached part fixed, at the time of manufacture, to the dispensing device in a non-removable way.
Certain products, particularly over a lengthy period of non-use, tend to clog the dispensing device, for example with product residues. With dispensers currently on the market, it is practically impossible to unblock or clean the nozzle and/or the conveying duct, without causing damage to the dispensing device, which is detrimental to subsequent use of the dispenser
Such a clogging phenomenon may occur quite often when the product is a solution or a dispersion which readily dries out in ambient air. Such products may be in the form of spray adhesives, paints, or certain cosmetic or dermopharmaceutical products, such as products for conditioning the hair and the skin, such as hair lacquers or antisun products.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,756 discloses a spray head comprising a nozzle screwed onto a free end of the product conveying duct. Turning the nozzle makes it possible, by displacing the nozzle along the product jet outlet axis, to modify the characteristics of the spray obtained. It is also possible to remove this nozzle in order to clean it, should it become clogged. However, it is difficult to access the conveying ducts with a view to unblocking them, if clogging occurs Furthermore, it is difficult to readjust the nozzle after it has been refitted, which means that it is not possible to obtain a constant quality of spray, after cleaning, until numerous adjustment operations have been performed. In addition, the nozzle described cannot be obtained by moulding, or can be so only with difficulty, and has to be machined from metal, which adversely affects its cost price. Finally, as the nozzle is displaced along the axis of the jet, it is essential, in order to avoid the nozzle being expelled under the pressure of the jet, for it to be secured by a connection of the screw-fastening type.
A cleanable nozzle device for fluid products is described elsewhere, in WO-A-96/31 412. This nozzle device comprises a fixed part and a removable part making it possible, in the event of clogging, to access the dispensing orifice and the terminal part of the product conveying duct. The removable part can be detached on a plane passing through the center of the dispensing orifice. The edge of the dispensing orifice is delimited by two different parts and when the dispensing orifice is very small in size, it may be impossible to obtain an even edge around the dispensing orifice, particularly as a result of the presence of an assembly joint. This results in an irregular and rough spray. As a result, it is impossible to obtain a regular cone of spray with a uniform distribution of droplet sizes.
Another source, EP-A-0 726 096, describes a spray head in which the dispensing orifice can move with respect to an annular swirl chamber and ducts supplying it with product. The objective of this device is to vary the divergence characteristics of the spray obtained. Access to this swirl chamber and/or to its supply ducts, with a view to clearing these, is not possible.
In the case of other spray heads or nozzle devices, for instance, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,989,251, U.S. Pat. No. 3,319,894, FR-A-2 698 854 or EP-A-0 790 079, no provision is made for removing or temporarily opening up the spray heads or nozzle devices with a view to clearing the supply ducts they contain.
Accordingly, one of the optional objects of the invention is to provide a dispensing head, a dispensing assembly and a method for cleaning a dispensing head that solve all or some of the problems or short-comings of the related art. For example, the device may be reliable, easy to use and inexpensive.
Hence, one of the optional objects of the invention is to supply a dispensing head, which can easily be cleaned without complicated disassembly. In particular, the dispensing head may have a two-part structure which makes it possible to avoid losing one of the constituent parts.
Yet another optional object of the invention relates to a dispensing head which is easy to disassemble and to fit after clearing.
Another optional object of the invention relates to a dispensing head capable of producing a jet or a regular spray of uniformly distributed fine droplets.
It should be understood that the invention could still be practiced without performing one or more of the optional objects and/or advantages described above. Still other optional objects will become apparent from the detailed description that follows.
As broadly described herein, the invention includes a dispensing head for actuation a dispensing member provided on a dispenser. The dispensing head may include a body, an end element and at least one dispensing duct. The body may be configured to be operatively coupled to the dispensing member. The end element may include a dispensing orifice Moreover, the end element may be movable with respect to the body (e.g. movable coupled directly or indirectly to the body) between a closed position and an opened position, wherein the movement includes at least one translational movement of the end element and at least one pivoting movement of the end element about a pivot axis. With the end element in the closed position, flow communication between the dispensing orifice and the dispensing member may be allowed This flow communication may occur via the at least one dispensing duct when the body is operatively coupled to the dispensing member. Further, when the end element is in the opened position, at least a portion of the at least one dispensing duct may be capable of being cleaned.
Another optional aspect of the invention relates to a dispensing head intended for actuating a valve or a pump and for dispensing a product through at least one dispensing orifice. The dispensing head may include a body configured for coupling to an operating stem of the valve or of the pump and an end element that includes the dispensing orifice When the dispensing head is in a position in which it is mounted on the pump stem or valve stem, this dispensing orifice may be in communication with the pump stem or valve stem via at least one passage. The end element may be capable of being placed in a position allowing the cleaning of all or part of the passage or duct in response to the end element being displaced with respect to the body in a first movement of translation, and in a second movement of pivoting about an axis.
Optionally, the first movement is along a first axis on which the dispensing orifice is centered, i.e., the first axis is coincident with the longitudinal axis of the dispensing orifice.
For example, the second movement may be about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.
In order to perform the first and second movements, one of the body or the end element may include a guide element, for instance, a grove, slot or channel. The other of the body or the end element may include a catching element, for instance, a stud or other projection, which is intended to engage the guide element.
In an optional embodiment, in the opened or retracted position, the end element is secured to the body of the dispensing head. For this purpose, the guide element, in collaboration with the catching element, may allow the end element to be secured to the body of the dispensing head when the end element is in the opened position.
Optionally, the end element may be restrained from being displaced, via a pivoting movement or via a translational movement, relative to the body when the end element is in the closed position. For example, either the body or the end element may include at least one raised pip for inhibiting translational movement of the end element relative to the body when the end element is in the closed position.
With regard to the second axis, this axis may be defined by the catching element, for instance, a stud, studs or other projections.
The end element may be mounted on the body in such a way as to be able to be placed in the opened or retracted position in response to a translational movement followed by a pivoting movement through about 180 degrees with respect to the body.
Displacement of the end element relative to the body from the closed position to the opened position, may optionally be accomplished via a first translational movement, a first pivoting movement, a second translational movement and a second pivoting movement
The product supplying passage or duct optionally includes a swirl chamber upstream of the dispensing orifice. This swirl chamber may be capable of imparting to the stream of product, just before it passes through the dispensing orifice, an accelerating movement in a converging spiral. This accelerating movement may cause the product to break up into particularly fine droplets after it has passed through the dispensing orifice This effect is particularly useful, for example, when use is being made of a pump with precompression, or of a dispensing valve in combination with a compressed propellant gas that is not soluble in the product
For instance, optionally, either the body or the end element includes a swirl chamber. The swirl chamber may optionally be delimited by the other of the body or the end element. The swirl chamber may include profiles that at least partially define dispensing passages of decreasing cross-sectional area.
According to one optional embodiment, the passage connecting the operating stem to the dispensing orifice may be partly delimited by the end element.
According to another optional provision of the invention, the end element partly delimits the swirl chamber. In this case, a sealing element, formed, for instance, by a portion of the end element, may be provided to seal the dispensing duct or passages. Optionally, the sealing element may be formed by a portion of the body
Optionally, the dispensing head of the invention is shaped as a pushbutton with a pressing surface, on which the user presses in order to cause a dose of product to be ejected or sprayed.
Another optional aspect relates to a dispensing head for a dispenser including a dispensing member. The dispensing head may include a body, an end element, at least one guide element and at least one catching element. The body may define at least a portion of at least one dispensing duct. The dispensing duct may be configured to provide flow communication with the dispensing member when the dispensing head is operatively coupled to the dispensing member. The end element may include a dispensing orifice and the end element may be movably coupled to the body for movement from a closed position to an opened position. The guide element may be defined by one of the body or the end element. The catching element may be defined by the other of the body or the end element and the catching element may slidably engage the guide element during at least a portion of the movement of the end element from the closed position to the opened position. The catching element may define a pivoting axis around which the end element pivots relative to the body during at least a portion of the movement of the end element from the closed position to the opened position.
Even another optional aspect relates to a dispensing head for a dispenser including a dispensing member, wherein the dispensing head may include a body configured to be operatively coupled to the dispensing member and an end element including a dispensing orifice. The body may define a portion of a dispensing duct. The end element may be movably coupled to the body. The body may include a groove and the end element may include a stud. The stud may move in the groove when the end element moves from a closed position to an open position.
Another optional aspect relates to an assembly for packaging and dispensing a product, particularly a cosmetic one. The assembly may comprise a dispensing member, for instance, a pump or a valve, and the dispensing head.
The dispensing assembly may include a reservoir for packaging the product, a dispensing member operatively associated with the reservoir, and the dispensing head. The product may optionally be a cosmetic product, and optionally, this cosmetic product may include a solvent or be capable of undergoing oxidation.
When this assembly includes a dispensing member, the product may be conveyed to the dispensing member, for example, by means of a pressurized propellant gas, acting directly or indirectly on the product contained in a reservoir with which the assembly is provided. Optionally, the dispensing member may be a valve. For example, the dispensing member may be a push-in valve or a lateral tilt valve. Optionally, the dispensing member may be a pump.
In yet another optional aspect, a method for cleaning product residue from a dispensing head is provided. The method includes translating the end element relative to the body and pivoting the end element relative to the body to thereby gain access to the dispensing duct. The method further includes removing product residue from the dispensing duct, and pivoting and translating the end element relative to said body to thereby place the dispensing orifice in flow communication with the dispensing duct.
Optionally, the end element may be translated along a straight line or a curvilinear line, or both.
Another optional aspect relates to a method for cleaning product residue from a dispensing head comprised of a body and an end element movable with respect to the body. The method includes translating the end element relative to the body, pivoting the end element relative to the body to thereby gain access to a dispensing duct defined at least in part by the body, and removing product residue from the dispensing duct The method further includes pivoting the end element relative to the body, and translating the end element relative to the body to thereby place a dispensing orifice defined by the end element in flow communication with the dispensing duct.
Besides the structural arrangements and procedural aspects described above, there could include a number of other arrangements, such as those explained hereinafter. It is to be understood that both the foregoing description and the following description are exemplary.